Lodge and Chiang Mai Thai chef Joy Evans developed this for a cooking class. (See Green Curry Paste for accompanying recipe.)
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. oil
¼ c. fresh green curry paste or 2 Tbsp. store-bought paste
2 cans (27 oz.) coconut milk
6 kaffir lime leaves, gently torn
6 Thai chiles, stemmed and cut in half lengthwise
6 Thai eggplant, cut in quarters
1 carrot, cut in large ovals
¾ lb. chicken breast, cut into large bite-sized pieces
½ lb. chicken thigh meat, cut into large bite-sized pieces
1 handful baby Thai eggplant
2 to 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
½ c. Thai basil, roughly torn
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
Preparation:
In a medium-heavy saucepan or wok, heat the oil and fry the curry paste for a minute or two over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Add a cup of the coconut milk and bring to a low boil. Continue to cook until a layer of oil forms on the surface. Add the remainder of the coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil for 5 minutes.
Add lime leaves, chiles, Thai eggplant, and carrots. Simmer on low heat until the carrots are nearly done. Add chicken and baby eggplant and bring to a full boil. When chicken is done, reduce heat and add fish sauce, sugar, and half of the Thai basil leaves. Transfer to a tureen. Garnish with the remaining basil.